Comin' Up Christmas Time: Choral SoundPax

Andy Beck's arrangement transforms this Hanna-Barbera gem into a show-stopping concert opener with real stage potential. The weaving of familiar Christmas carol phrases creates instant recognition and joy, while the 2-beat groove and full SoundPax instrumentation give your choir a polished, broadcast-quality sound without requiring a pit orchestra. For programs that need a high-energy welcome that lands with both young audiences and parents, this delivers.

Warm, bright, and unabashedly festive. The arrangement bounces with the comedic energy Barbera's television work was famous for, yet the layered carol phrases add gentle depth and recognition. Performed with full instrumentation, it feels like the opening number of a holiday television special, complete with energy and charm.

This arrangement suits concert choirs and mixed ensembles at the high school and community college level who want a Christmas opener with personality and theatrical flair. It works equally well for church choirs seeking a secular, accessible holiday number or for directors programming family-friendly concerts. The 62-page score suggests substantial material, but it's an ideal entry point for singers new to seasonal performance.

• Establish the 2-beat style cleanly in early rehearsals; it's the rhythmic anchor that makes the arrangement swing. Have the rhythm section lock the pulse before layering in vocal parts.
• Plan your staging or choreography during the first read-through rather than after the piece is musically solid. The movement opportunities are intrinsic to the arrangement's personality, not an afterthought.
• Balance the carol quotations so they register as intentional callbacks rather than buried references. Highlight them slightly in rehearsal so singers understand where the familiar melodies live.
• Use the recorded accompaniment in final rehearsals and performances to experience the full SoundPax texture. The arrangement is written with that complete sound in mind, and hearing it realized makes the choir's role in the mix clear.

Open your December concert with this piece; its joyful tone and immediate accessibility set a welcoming mood for the entire event. Pair it with a mix of traditional and contemporary carols to show range, or use it as a palate cleanser between more serious choral selections. The theatrical staging possibilities also make it a strong fit for community holiday shows where movement enhances the production value.

• Singing in a 2-beat style and maintaining groove over steady accompaniment
• Identifying and performing quoted melodic phrases from standard Christmas carols
• Coordinating sung lines with staged movement and choreography
• Balancing choral blend with prominent instrumentation (SoundPax)
• Interpreting rhythmic notation and syncopation in a contemporary pop arrangement